Io Capitano

This is one of the most outstanding movies that I've seen in recent years, and one that should be compulsory viewing for all.

Illuminating, heart-breaking but ultimately uplifting, LO CAPITANO casts an unflinching eye upon the gruelling journey that so many illegal immigrants undertake in the hope of a better life.

The two innocents at the heart of the story are captivating in their naivety which is quickly crushed by the brutality of the heartless opportunists who exploit them at every step.

Yet, it also conveys a message of hope and triumph of the spirit. A superb film that's not to be missed. If I could rate it 11 out of 10, I would.

Seydou and Moussa from Senegal have saved some money to make their dream come true - go to Europe and hopefully become famous. We see a bit of their life in Dakar, and then their journey to Sicily, through the desert partly on foot, abandoned by traffickers who had promised to bring them to Libya, and then they cross the Mediterranean Sea with a rotting ship without any sailor who'd know how to steer it. The film makes you live the experience; this was what I came to see, and this is what I got. It is based on the experiences of at least one of the main actors (don't know for sure about others). The film has grim and sad moments, some suspense, some despicable behaviour, greedy and ruthless, but also some poetic dream sequences, heartwarming humanity, and even some inspiring optimism. It is a very tough and dangerous undertaking and nobody should be forced to put themselves through it. The acting was great and we get some impressive scenery and photography as well even though the protagonists are not there to enjoy it. Highly recommended, best film I saw this summer.

One aspect that made me think is that in the beginning the life of the two cousins in Dakar doesn't look all too gloomy, and furthermore some people give them very realistic warnings about what they are going to go through. They decide to leave their families and take on the "adventure" anyway, which can be seen as rather stupid or at least naive really, but given they are 16 years old and have some drive to distance themselves from their childhood, this has some credibility. Still already in the beginning we can think that even if they reach Europe, chances are their life there will be no better, and there will be a point at which they will regret this. Although the film conveys a lot of sympathy for them, and for what the refugees have to go through generally, it could also be used to argue that Europe should close borders more strictly and do what it can to stop people being attracted to Europe based on unrealistic hopes. Certainly the film makes no attempt to convince the spectators that the two protagonists suffer real hardship in their home country and need to go away to have a bearable life. Certainly there will be refugees like this, but is it a majority? I'd still imagine many of those who go have stronger reasons than these two. No criticism of the film as it is certainly credible, still I think we are better off having clearly in mind that not all of these stories are like this one.

I always had a negative mindset about illegal immigrants, but here, in this outstanding movie, I found it so much easier to understand how difficult it is to leave everything you have to live a normal life. It shows how unquestionably unfair life can be for some people, dealing with hundreds of difficulties just to be able to pursue a dream which can not be true in their own country. I believe, all of us, as humans have this amazing ability to find a better way to help preventing this mount of pain for people like these teenagers. And this movie changed my perspective about this crisis. I am expectantly waiting to see a better life for every human, regardless of where on this planet they are living.

At times this is a really quite harrowing film to watch as we follow two cousins "Seydou" (Seydou Sarr) and "Moussa" (Moustapha Fall) on one hell of a journey. They are still going to school in Dakar, but have secretly dreamed of heading to Europe. The work hard in their spare time, and try to keep their mother's in the dark until the time comes to start their journey. Getting from their homeland is comparatively easy - they get a bus, but once they begin their travels in earnest, that's when they (and we) encounter the appalling people traffickers who try to get them across the Sahara to Libya where even worse awaits them. The venality of the human spirit is writ hugely here as people are beaten, tortured, imprisoned and sold and with the boys briefly separated, we now focus on the tribulations of the determined and strong-willed "Seydou" who must get his friend to an hospital - even if that means driving a boat full of fellow migrants himself across the Mediterranean to Sicily! The two boys are super here, there's a chemistry between them that shows well their stoicism, perseverance and loyalty to each other - in the face of some fairly eye-watering ghastliness. It's not without it's humour and the effectiveness of their facial expressions isn't wasted on the camera on these occasions. These two are engaging and I felt as invested in their success as I felt disgusted by man's gross inhumanity to those so apparently vulnerable that they barely had the clothes they (sort of) stood up in. If you saw "Flee" (2021) then you'll have an idea what you are in for, only this time we have some stunning real photography of this planet when it's at is most arid, hostile and unforgiving. I can't think this will ever get too general a cinema release, but if you do get a chance then it's well worth catching.

An emotional rollercoaster of a film charting the journey of two young Senegalese cousins as they cross the Sahara and the Mediterranean to find their fortune in Europe. It gives the lie to those who demonise, to advance their political ambitions, such migrants. Technically, the film is astonishing, especially notable for Paolo Carnera's superb cinematography and. Marco Spoletini's sensitive editing. Everyone in the large, mainly non-professional, cast is superb, with a massive shout-out to Seydou Sarr, who finds himself as the eponymous captain. Director and co-writer Matteo Garrone, a great filmmaker, has delivered another masterwork.